Connecticut western news., 1887-08-03
IN A MOSQUE

Strange Religious Exercises ill a City in Asia Minor.
 Worshipers Who Become
 Crazed With Excitement.
 Describing visit to Sivas, a city in Asia Minor, Henry M. Jewctt says in the Boston Herald We attended, by invita- ton of the sheik, who is the head of peculiar sect of Mohammedans, the ser vice in mosque outside the city. At the entrance to the mosque the sheik met us and conducted us up flight of stairs to his private room. This room had a window at one end, so that we could look directly down into the mosque and see all that was done quite as if we were in a private box in thea tre. About 40 men of all classes of society, from the day laborer in rags to the military officer in fine uniform, stood in a semi-circle in front of the niche, which the sheik occupied. After the usual prayers, the real performance com menced. This, at first, consisted simply of repetition of the word s'Allah-God," accompanied by swaying of the body back and forth. At first it was ''Allah Al -lah," the first syllable accented, over and over again. Then, when this had gone on for some time, they changed to "Al-lah-Al-lah," keeping perfect time and unison in pronunciation of the word and the movement of the body. As they kept on, the fervor augmented, the motions were quicker, and the mental exaltation visibly increased Then three of the men seized huge tambourines, and, beating them rhythmically, but with certain fury, aroused the worship CTS to increased excitement. "Allah 1! Allah!" they cry, meanwhile. Then suc- ceeds another variation. Now it is Allah! Allah!' with the last syllable drawn out to a long, musical vail, and each minute added to the violence of the swaying and rocking of the body. Finally, when the audience had worked themselves into state of great excite ment, the sheik leaped to the floor, the others surrounding him in a circle, and throwing his arms back and forth and bending up and down, walked around the circle, pausing in front of each man, who sought to emulate the violence of his motions with his own. The cry of "Allah! Allah!'' was dropped, and, in- stead of it, the breath was inspirated violently, and then blown out through the mouth and nostrils with an explosive hissing sound, all doing it at the same time, and accompanying it with a uni form rocking of the body and violent throwing of the head backward and for ward. This continued for nearly an hour, and, as it proceeded, the excite ment became intense. Some seemed to be in sort of crazy or hypnotic con- dition, with their eyes either closed or fixed; for the strain of this continued exertion and mental excitement soon showed itself. One fell to the ground as if in fit, while an old man, who had been walking around the outside of the circle, as if watching for such occur rcnces, picked him up and shook him by the collar, which seemed instantly to re- store him, and put him back in his place again. Then another, soldier, fell for ward into the circle, throwing his arms wildly about. Others showed all the signs of mental ecstasy, and were, appar- cntly, unconscious of their dings but still they kept up, in unison with the others, the explosive drawing in and cxhalation of the breath, with wild cries and wilder gestures. It seemed at last as if human endurance could no longer withstand the strain of mental excite mcnt and physical exertion, and one man fell to the ground as if he were dead Attendants seized him and laid him ir an easy position. Then another fell then another, until finally all were lying or sitting on the ground. The soldier looked and acted like maniac, for after lying exhausted for few minutes, he arose, staggered to the end of the room, leaped into the ar once or twice and then lowering his head, ra1 at full speed across the floor and dashed himself against the wall. It did no seem to hurt him. He only staggered for moment ke a drunken man, the1 recovered himself, walked back again tt ! repeat the performance. His example was followed by the most jealous of tn | others.
 The sheik is not only very fine look
 ing man but also very genial one, ant talks pleasantly and even jokingly. H'
 is finely dressed. His outer robe is O
 wool, woven in fine red and whit
 stripes, and fastened with silk cord
 Under this he wears loose, flowing
 jacket and skirt of fine material, worked
 with flowers. His skull cap is @
 curiously embroidered pink cloth,
 bound with turban of white
 and yellow silk. While we were con
 versing, his little daughter came in. Sh
 is dainty little thing, three or fou
 years old, with most beautiful black eye
 and the longest curling eyelashes l hav
 ever seen Oh child or woman. She wor'
 dress of blue silk and a sack of maroon
 velvet, embroidered with gilt braid. A
 sign from her father, she came to eacl
 of us, took her hands, placed them t.
 her lips, and then to her forehead, il